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This year was chock-full of new openings, freebies, strange new technology and bugs?
See the top 10, most popular news stories from Time Out New York below.
1. Where to get free ice cream in NYC for National Ice Cream Day
New Yorkers love their ice cream and when it’s free, it’s a free-for-all. We rounded up several ice cream shops and other spots that gave away complimentary scoops on July 16—National Ice Cream Day.
2. A drone show will light up the NYC skyline this weekend
Move over, fireworks, drone light shows are the new thing in NYC. We saw a few of these this year and one of the first was put on by the global collective Projecting Change. It brought 1,000 drones to the sky above the East River to kick off Climate Week in September.
3. Spotted lanternflies will still be a problem this fall—here’s how to kill the invasive bug
Those damn lanternflies were still bothering us this year, despite our collective attempt at squishing every last one of them in 2022. With the scourge still upon us this past fall, we shared how to deal with them. Let’s hope 2023 is less bug-ridden.
4. Baskin-Robbins is giving out unlimited free ice cream tomorrow
Again, New Yorkers had the chance to grab some free scoops. The Upper East Side Baskin-Robbins was launching its brunch-inspired flavor Chick’n & Waffles by giving out free ice cream back in March. It actually sounds delicious?
5. This NYC pizzeria was just named the second-best in the world
Whenever anyone claims a “best pizza,” New Yorkers want to know. 50 Top Pizza, an online guide focusing on the top pizza parlors across the globe, released its findings back in September. This Orchard Street pie shop fell to No. 2 in the world this year, only falling to a shop in Italy!
6. You can now travel from Manhattan to JFK Airport for a mere $13
Grand Central Madison station finally opened at Grand Central Terminal, allowing LIRR trains to come straight to Midtown East. With it, New Yorkers were able to get to John F. Kennedy Airport for $13 from midtown. That’s a deal!
7. No, apparently New York isn't the coolest city in America
We know it is, but one study disagrees. You’ll have to take it with a grain of salt—the online gambling company Betway looked a cities based on “their art scene, nightlife, diversity, and commitment to sustainability” and took into account quintessential cool-kid markers like the number of thrift shops, record stores, tattoo parlors and other independent businesses within the city borders.
8. How to see the Northern Lights in New York tonight
With all our light pollution, any cool phenomenon is usually obscured. But thanks to a solar storm in July, some of the Northern Lights were visible in the darker areas (parks, beaches, etc.) around NYC. If you missed it, you won’t want to miss the solar eclipse slated for April.
9. Fifth Avenue will be closed to all car traffic next month
One of NYC’s most famous stretches actually closed to car traffic every Sunday in December. It’s the second year this happened and it’s a pretty big deal! The hope was to alleviate pedestrian traffic around the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, but based on some videos on social media, we’re not sure that was the case!
10. 6 openings and experiences in NYC to look forward to this spring
At the beginning of 2023, we identified some of the biggest openings that would take NYC by storm: the return of Century 21, the opening of Manhattan’s first-ever public beach and the giant Gilder Center at AMNH among others. It’s fun to look back and see what big events occurred this year.
Here’s to the new year, which will be full of more fun stories like these!